England folded in dismal fashion to lose the fifth Test within three days and with it the Ashes series 5 - nil to end their miserable winter in entirely appropriate fashion.

Alastair Cook's men were bowled out for a feeble 166 inside 32 overs to be thrashed by 281 runs in Sydney, at one stage losing four wickets in 11 balls.

All of England's senior batsmen once again failed on a tour when not a single one has totalled 300 runs, and when six Australians have well in excess.

It is only the third whitewash in Ashes history, and is arguably the worst tour in England's cricket history after they came into this series as favourites and against a side beaten in seven of their previous nine Tests.